Stock-punch.



ALVAH BLACKBURN, OF vALTJ'lVl BANK, PENNSYLVANIA;

STOCK-PUNCH.

Application filed April 11, 1918.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALvAI-I BLACKBURN, a citizen of the 'United States,residing at Alum Bank, inthe county of Bedford and State ofPennsylvania, have invented cer- 'l ain new and useful Improvements inStock- Punches; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple and inexpensive, yeta highly efhcient and durable device for punching holes in the ears andnoses of live stock for attaching rings or tags thereto or for purposesof identification, it being intended also that the punches may be madeto represent figures,l whereby the year of birth may be punched in theanimals ear.

With the foregoing general obj ect in view, the invention resides in thenovel features of construction to be hereinafter fully described andclaimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanyingdrawing` which forms a part of this specification and in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of the stock punch;

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section thereof;

Fig. 8 is an edge view;

Figs. l and 5 are detail sectional views on the planes of the lines 4-4and 5-5 rei spectively of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevation of the front end of the tool withone jaw and punch in section; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the punches.

In the drawing above briefly described, the numerals 1 designate a pairof handles crossed and pivoted together at 2 and having substantiallysemi-circular jaws 3 at their front ends, said handles and jaws beingformed of metal stamped into channel shape. The side flanges of the jaws3 are stamped inwardly toward each other at 4l to decrease thecross-sectional size of the jaws and to provide the free ends of saidjaws with elongated sockets 5.

A pair of punches 6, here shown in the form of rings, are provided onone edge p with elongated curved shanks 7 which are snugly yet removablyreceived 1n the sockets 5, said punches extending forwardlySpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

Serial No. 228,014.

from the jaws 3 and the ends of the latter being cut away slightly at 8so that they in no manner interfere with the passage of the removedcartilage or flesh through the punches.

Although the punches are herein shown in the form of rings, I wish itunderstood that they may be constructed of any desired shapes. Forinstance, a set of punches may be pro-vided with each tool, said punchesbeing shaped to form numerals from one to nine and Zero. It will thus beseen that by first using one pair of punches and then another the yearin which the animal was born may be punched in the ear, whereby allstock will bear a permanent record of their birth year. The ringlikepunches shown in the drawing are used primarily for punching holes inthe nose cartilage of bulls and other fractious animals, so that a ringmay lbe placed therein for the well known purposes. These puncheshowever are also of advantage in forming an opening through the ear ofthe animal by which to attach an identification tag or the like. It mayalso be pointed out that the tool may be made in small sizes forpiercing the nose cartilage of the animal while sufficiently young tooffer little resistance. The opening thus formed will be at handwhenever it should be necessary to insert the ring.

Preferably employed in connection with the construction above described,is a spring 9 which exerts its tension to normally open the tool, and inorder to retain the latter in closed position when necessary, a suitablelink or the like 10 is provided for connecting the handles l. Also, toprevent closing of these handles to such an extent as to possibly pinchthe users hand, or injure the punches, a projecting finger 11 ispreferably provided on one handle to strike the other.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,it will be obvious that although my invention is of extremely simple and.inexpensive nature, it will be highly eliicient and durable, particularemphasis being laid upon the novel means for removably attaching thepunches 6, whereby to permit differently shaped unches to be applied asrequired. Since probably the best results are obtained from the featuresshown and described, these features are preferably followed, but withfof said jaws to decrease the cross-sectionall Copies of this patent maybe obtained for in the scope 0f the invention as claimed, considerablelatitude is allowed for making such changes as occasion may dictate.

I claim: Y l

1. A stock punch comprising crossed handles pivoted together andcarrying substantially semi-circular jaws at their front ends7 saidhandles and their jaws being formed of metal stamped intov channelshape, the side flanges of the jaws being stamped inwardly toward eachother at the free ends size of said jaws and to form sockets openingthrough said ends, and a pair of punches' having attaching Shanksreceived in said' sockets.

2.' An article of manufacture comprising a pair of crossed handlespivoted together and carrying substantially seinicircular jaws at theirfront ends, said handles and their jaws being formed of inetal stampedinto channel shape and the side flanges of said jaws being stampedinwardly toward each other at the free ends of the latter to reduce thecross-sectional size of said jaws and to forni elongated sockets adaptedto i'eceivethe attaching Shanks of a pair of punches.

, In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ALVAH BLACKBURN.

Witnesses:

vH. C.DORn,

w. A. Moembk.

ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington,ZD. C. i

